Local rabbit meat is being squeezed out of the market by the “overwhelming” amount of frozen imports, according to breeders who claim they cannot compete with foreign producers.
Nearly 300,000 kilos of frozen rabbit was imported last year, more than double the amount produced by local breeders, Times of Malta has learnt.
“The market is saturated with imported rabbits and it is obviously having an effect on our local cuisine.
“It’s becoming increasingly difficult to have a genuine fenkata with local products,” rabbit breeder Philip Galea said.
Figures for imported rabbits, compiled by the National Statistics Office, confirm that Maltese importers spent more than €809,000 on foreign rabbit meat.
In all, local consumers paid out well over €2 million for local and imported rabbit in 2012 alone. Local breeders registered some 100,000 kilos of it last year.
All locally produced rabbits should be processed in one of two recognised abattoirs, which provide each carcass with a numerical registration tag.
The market is saturated with imported rabbits and it is obviously having an effect on our local cuisine
Joseph Mamo, the island’s largest producer and owner of the only licensed private abattoir, said asking for the registration tag was the sole way to be certain the rabbit was of local origin.
Mr Mamo estimated the figure for local rabbit would double if all non-registered rabbits were taken into consideration.
“I produce about 50,000 rabbits every year. But I’d say that about 3,000 a week are produced across the island – many of which are unlicensed,” Mr Mamo said.
Amateur breeders are permitted to keep up to 50 rabbits on their private premises without any form of animal licensing. The commercial slaughter of such rabbits, however, is illegal.
Animal welfare officials believe the sale of unregistered rabbits is common practice.
An Animal Welfare Department spokesman said he had dealt with numerous cases of unlicensed rabbit sales in the past few years.
“Everyone knows that thousands of rabbits are kept and sold without the proper licensing. The problem is stopping them,” the spokesman said, adding that the department regularly carried out investigations into the unlicensed slaughtering of rabbits.
Anthony Zahra, a butcher and third-generation rabbit breeder, said he was one of several breeders feeling the pinch as more restaurants and shoppers opted for foreign variations.
Restaurants lured by ‘cheap meat’
“Virtually none of my former clients buy local produce anymore,” Mr Zahra said, insisting such produce offered the only genuine fenkata experience.
A local rabbit normally sells for approximately €10 at local butchers but market inquiries by this newspaper revealed certain frozen varieties can be bought for as little as €5 each.
“The frozen imports are often close to their sell-by-date, that’s probably why they’re so cheap.
“I think it’s the same with all cheap imported foodstuffs,” Mr Zahra said, as he butchered carcasses ahead of the weekend rush.
Another breeder, who preferred not to be named, said he had lost nearly all his business to cheaper foreign imports, some of which seemed to have questionable origins.
“I used to provide hundreds of rabbits to restaurants across the island.
“Now most of my clients have switched to frozen imports,”he said.
The Customs department confirmed that the majority of rabbit imports last year originated from Italy: 130,000.
Other popular countries of origin include Hungary, Latvia and the Czech Republic.
Opinions differ over best fenkata choice
Local restaurants are torn over which rabbit to use in their variations of the classic Maltese fenkata.
Some claim foreign imports are virtually undistinguishable from local fare while others insist Maltese rabbits are the essence of a traditional fenkata.
“We cater for a large amount of passing trade. Rabbit is a big seller. We use imported rabbit meat and people love it. I really don’t think there’s any difference,” restaurateur George Caruana said.
But John Sammut said his clients had very exacting tastes over the quality of their meat.
“People come from all over the island for my rabbit. Of course, Maltese rabbits are different; they have that gamey, wild taste that makes this traditional dish.
“Fenkata is a meal that is undeniably Maltese – and the Maltese know their rabbit,” Mr Sammut said.